In Revelation 1:7 we read; “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

Did you know that when the Bible talks about Christ coming back in the clouds, it is a reference to His Deity?

Yes indeed, Jesus Christ is coming back! We don’t know when that future event will take place, but one day Christ is going to physically, visibly and personally return to Earth. However, interesting as it may be, the subject we want to consider today is neither the timing nor even the fact of this monumental event. What we want to briefly discuss is the mention of the word ‘clouds.'

In the Bible, clouds are often a signal of divine activity. They frequently announce the presence of God.Consider this, Exodus 13:21; “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way;” Exodus 16:10, “And it came to pass, as Aaron spoke unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. “Exodus 34:5 declares, “And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.Numbers 10:34 “And the cloud of the LORD was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp.”In Psalm 104:3 we read, “The Lord makes the clouds his chariot.”Speaking of coming judgment, Jeremiah warned, Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: Jeremiah 4:13 (see also Zephaniah 1:15).

Let’s fast forward to the New Testament to Matthew 26:64. Here Jesus is on trial for His life. Before Him stands Old Joe Caiaphas bedecked in the regalia of the High Priest. Old Joe is a jealous man, jealous of the adulation being given to the Young Prince of Glory. Old Joe is a threatened man. Threatened because the Lord Jesus has exposed the hypocrisy of the religious leaders with His ‘woe unto you’ speeches (see Matthew 23: 29-33). Old Joe Caiaphas, has been made to squirm. He is, after all, the Chief among the professional ecclesiastics who were, as Jesus had pointed out, merely white-washed tombs. As he seethes with hatred, Old Joe is determined to execute the Lord Jesus. He has brought in false witnesses to testify against the Master.Jesus, of course, could have backed down and diffused the situation. He could have changed His story…but he didn’t. He boldly looked his satanic rival in the eyes saying, “Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven.” COMING IN THE CLOUDS! It’s no wonder Caiaphas tore his clothes. It’s no wonder he cried out, “He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.”In this dreadful scene, the High Priest of Israel rejected the Christ of Israel and consigned Him to death. Caiaphas knew that Christ, by claiming He was coming back in the clouds had put Himself on the same footing as God. No wonder they executed Him.

And, by the way, when Jesus departed Terra Firma at the ascension, how did he leave? He left in a cloud (Acts1:9). And how will He return? He’ll return with the clouds (Acts 1:11). He is our God and we are steadfastly looking for Him.

Recently, I was stunned when reading the present Pope’s declaration concerning his upcoming ‘Year of Mercy’. Accordingly during that period Pope Francis will give priests a special dispensation of power to forgive those who have committed the sin of abortion.

A line from W.C. Fields sprang to my mind, “Hour of mischief, what kind of skulduggery is this?”

In his statement, the Pope expressed compassion for those who have aborted their babies. Furthermore, during the Holy Year of Mercy, he will permit priests to absolve penitent women of the sin of having had their pregnancies terminated.

How sweet of him, but who does he think he is to give permission to anyone to forgive sins? Only God can forgive sins…and He doesn’t limit His forgiveness to a 12-month window of opportunity.

All sin is sin against God (Psalm 51:4), it’s not against Pope Francis. Thus only God, not Francis, can forgive (Mark 2:7). Yet the Pope presumes to give power to his priests to do just that.

There is only one priest who can deal with sin and his name is not Francis, His name is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the God-Man. He is able to save to the uttermost all who come to God by Him (Hebrews 7:25).

In contrast to Rome’s 12-month period of mercy, the Bible speaks of unlimited mercy found in God. We read in Ephesians 2:4-5, for example, that God is rich in Mercy… literally He’s ‘plush’ with mercy. And what is more, mercy for those who have aborted their babies is not limited to the time frame of one year. The throne of Grace is open to everyone who approaches by faith, at any time, for any sin regardless of the Pope’s sell by date. In fact, Hebrews 4:16 urges us to “come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” There is mercy for those who come to Christ. He is the faithful High Priest, no other priest is required.

Perhaps someone who has had an abortion is reading this. It has deeply troubled your conscience. The guilt pierces you. You believe you are beyond forgiveness. I implore you, therefore, to look to Christ Jesus, plead guilty and throw yourself on His mercy. Your sins and iniquities He will remember no more.

May the Lord grant that you see the mercy and grace that is available to you in Christ Jesus. He is the only priest who can and will forgive sin for He alone is the God/Man!

"And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows;). How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter" (2 Corinthians 12: 3-4).

I am going to attempt to do the impossible. I will in these next few lines endeavour to speak about the unspeakable One, the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul had been transported to paradise and there he heard unspeakable words. He was overwhelmed with the reality of the invisible God made visible in the Lord Jesus. I have some friends who think that the pinnacle of spirituality is to speak in tongues, but when Paul was confronted with the exalted Christ in His majestic splendour, he couldn't speak at all.

And yet there are some thrilling things which we can yet say about our Saviour for he has left his imprint and record in the scriptures. May we yet become speechless as we take time to meditate on the glory of God in the person of Christ. May we yet rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory (1 Peter 1:8). Let's then, for a few moments, consider God's unspeakable gift (2 Corinthians 9: 15).

The Lord Jesus came that we who were dead in trespasses and sins might have life. He is the beginning of life. He is the source of life. He is the giver of life. He is the bread of life. He is the water of life. He is the light of life, the resurrection and the life and the way, the truth, the life. "He that believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting life." This leaves me speechless! What about you?

Jesus is the promised seed. He is the seed who bruised the serpent's head. He is Abraham's seed in whom all the nations are blessed. He is David's seed, the Righteous Branch who reigns wisely. He is the true Israel and the elect of God. He is the new covenant and the salvation of his people. He is the rock of our salvation. This leaves me speechless. What about you?

He is the Second Man, the eternal word made flesh, the Last Adam, the Faithful and True Witness, the Almighty who was and is and is to come. This leaves me speechless! What about you?

He gives healing to the sick, sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf and life to the dead. He is the deliverer of those in bondage, the healer of the broken heart and the one who gives rest to the weary. This leaves me speechless! What about you?

He is the general who never lost a battle, the lawyer who never lost a case and the shepherd who never lost a sheep. He is the author and finisher of our faith. This leaves me speechless! What about you?

He is the true Temple, the altar, the offerer and the offered.

He is the slain lamb, the lamb without blemish and without spot. He is the one who, by himself, purged our sins, destroyed the devil, conquered death, rose from the grave and ascended into glory. He is our surety, our ransom, our apostle and High Priest. He is the God/Man, the brightness of the Father's glory, the one whom angels worship. He is the crown of glory, the king of kings, the Lord of Lords, God manifest in the flesh and the fullness of the godhead bodily.

It is no wonder that the hymn writer wrote:

I stand amazed in the presence Of Jesus the Nazarene, And wonder how he could love me, A sinner, condemned, unclean.

May we yet become more and more astonished and amazed by the Lord Jesus. May we yet become speechless in His presence.

Hebrews 2:17-- "Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."

The Eternal Word became one of us in order to redeem us. Indeed, our verse says, "He was made like unto his brethren." He took our nature and paid for us with His blood. If ever we were to have been saved, there was an absolute necessity for Christ to have become one of us. Consider our predicament: we were on earth and God was in heaven. We were polluted, but God was pure. We were unrighteous, but God was just. How then could He look upon us and grant us grace?

We were without hope and without God (Ephesians 2:12). We needed someone to span the immense divide between God and us and rescue us. But to do this, this rescuer would have to become low enough to reach the bottom of our pit (Genesis 18:27). He would also have to be high enough to reach the exalted glory of Yahweh (1 Timothy 6:16). But, where could we find someone low enough and high enough all at the same time? The answer was and is in Christ alone, our Great High Priest. He was and is the exclusive hope of sinners for He alone established the bridge between man and God.

He is now our great high priest and is according to our text both merciful and faithful! Mercy is an interesting word which is inseparably linked to the concept of misery. The objects of mercy are those who were in misery. Indeed, it is only the miserable who sue for mercy! In his misery, for example, Blind Bartimaeus cried out, "Jesus son of David have mercy on me" (Mark 10:47). In His mercy, our priest, the Lord Jesus destroyed the eternal misery of death and the grave for us! In mercy, He destroyed the misery of Satan's authority over us. In mercy, He took away our sin and misery and reckoned us with His righteousness. He is our champion. Because of mercy, no believer need ever be destroyed by the misery of sin.

But not only is our high priest merciful, He is also faithful. In His faithfulness He finished His work (John 17:4). In His faithfulness, He is our present help in time of trouble! In His faithfulness, He brings all needed gifts and blessings of God to us. In His faithfulness, He understands and sympathizes with us. In His faithfulness, He helps and strengthens us. Because He is faithful, He can be trusted (1 Peter 2:6).

Don't be mistaken, there is no access to God without a priest and there is no priest qualified to act on behalf of sinners but Jesus Christ. Unlike human priests, Jesus is perfectly holy. Unlike other priests, He understands all our temptations and struggles. Unlike other priests, He Himself is that one, perfect non-repeatable and finished offering for sin. Unlike other priests, in Him we encounter God. Unlike other priests, He will never die, for unlike other priests, He ever lives to make intercession for us. Unlike other priests, mercy and faithfulness meet together in Him. On this point, William Gouge says, "His mercifulness was the ground of His faithfulness and His faithfulness was the evidence of His mercy."

A Man there is, a real man, With wounds still gaping wide, (From which rich streams of blood once ran), In hands and feet and side. (Tis no wild fancy of our brains, No metaphor we speak; The same dear Man in heaven now reigns, That suffered for our sake).

This wondrous Man of whom we tell Is true Almighty God; He bought our souls from death and hell; The price, His own heart's blood. ------Joseph Hart

Jesus by His suffering and death has become our merciful and faithful high priest. He has ascended and has presented us to the Father and declared us unblameable and perfect. We are saved by His sacrifice for us, not by our sacrifice for Him. We are saved by His faithfulness to us, not by our strivings to be faithful to Him. We are saved by His merciful and faithful commitment to us, not by our failed efforts of total commitment to Him.

The Bible is not the book of the year, it is the book of the ages. It has outsold, outlasted and surpassed in reach more than all other books put together. However, not so long ago, personal reading of the Bible was frowned upon in my native Ireland.

In fact, in many countries, the Bible has been burned and banned. Indeed, rather than accept that the Bible is God's word, many still deny, distort and disregard its gracious truths. "Oh, we can't believe the Bible", some sneeringly say, "Science disproves it." Well, I'll be the first to admit that the Bible is not a science textbook. It isn't meant to be. It's a book that teaches us about God, His character and His redemption through Jesus Christ. However, when someone says that science disproves the Bible, they are incorrect. They would be more accurate if they said that some science disagrees with certain parts of the Bible. Disagreement, however, neither proves nor disproves anything.

Given enough time, science will catch up with the truths of the Scriptures. Science, you see, is always changing and developing. For example, it is reported that in 1861, the French Academy of Science printed a brochure giving 51 incontrovertible scientific facts as to why the Bible was in error. Today, not one scientist believes in any of these so called proofs.

Again, for thousands of years, the science of the day maintained that the earth was flat. In 1492, as his ears rang loud with warnings that he would fall off the edge of the world, poor old Columbus set sail to discover new lands. But the earth wasn't flat. The Bible had said this all along. 2,700 years ago the Bible prophet Isaiah stated, "It is He that sits on the circle of the Earth" (Isaiah 40:22). The word 'Circle' is literally the word for sphere or globe! So, how did Isaiah know that the earth was a sphere? That's simple. God told him (2 Peter 1:21).

God's word is never changing, but science is. For example, we take it for granted that the earth is suspended in space. But science didn't always believe that. In ancient Egypt, they believed that the earth rested on 5 pillars. The Greeks, in turn, believed that it was supported by a giant named Atlas. The ancient Hindus believed that the world rested on the backs of giant elephants who in turn rested on a giant turtle who rested on the back of a coiled serpent swimming in a cosmic sea. But we don't find anything like that in the Bible. What we do find, however, is Job 26:7 which informs us, "He hangs the earth upon nothing!" Wow! How did Job know that? That's simple. God told him.

Again, consider how in 150 BC, Hipparchus the astronomer charted the heavens and concluded there were 1,022 stars. A few hundred years later, Ptolemy, said that due to scientific advances he could now tell that Hipparchus was incorrect. There were not 1,022 stars, there were, in fact, 1,026. Then, 1300 years later, along came Galileo with his telescope and reckoned that the stars numbered in their 1000s. Was he correct? Far from it! Astronomers now estimate that there are at least 12 octillion stars in the known galaxies. However, no one needed to calculate the number of the celestial luminaries. Jeremiah, the Bible prophet, had already let them know. He stated explicitly that the host of heaven (the stars) cannot be numbered (Jeremiah 33:22). How did he know that? It's simple. God told him.

Jesus ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet He is the Living Water.

Jesus was weary, yet He is our rest. Jesus paid tribute, yet He is the King.

Jesus was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons.

Jesus wept, yet He wipes away our tears.

Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world.

Jesus was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd.

Jesus died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death."

Who is this man Jesus?

He was taken before Pilate and accused of having claimed to be the Son of God. Pilate, the Roman Governor, being greatly troubled and unsettled, confronted Him in the Judgment Hall, asking many questions. But, He answered him not a word (Matthew 27:14). He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth (Isaiah 53:7).

Who is this man Jesus Christ? Who is Jesus of Nazareth? Who is this man called the Christ?

First of all: He is God Almighty. Don't misunderstand what I am saying. Jesus was not merely the Son of God or God's ambassador, or even God's messenger. He Himself was and is God Almighty. The Scriptures made this clear. They declared, "Behold the Lord Himself will give you a sign; a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and thou shall call His name Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14) which being interpreted is "God with us" (Matthew 1:23.

In John 10:30, Christ boldly declared; "I and My Father are one." The disciples said, "Show us the Father." Jesus replied, "He that hath seen me has seen my Father" (John 14:9). Jesus further makes this great truth clear by saying, "If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him" (John 14:7).

Who is this man Jesus? "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God and all things were made by Him; without Him was nothing made that was made" (John 1:1-3).

Who is this man Jesus? He is God come to this earth. He is God in human flesh. Jesus of Nazareth is the living and true God who visited this earth in the likeness of sinful flesh. God came to earth and He reconciled us unto Himself in Christ. God was in Christ. He purchased the church with His own blood.

And this same Jesus, the God/Man, is our only hope. Some hundreds of years ago, a Monk lay dying in his bed. The priest had come to give him the Final Unction. However, the Monk, in spite of his cloistered life, been exposed to the gospel. To the shock and of the other monks he dispatched the priest, refused the crucifix and ordered his room to be emptied of all the other religious trappings. He then, with dying eyes, looked to heaven and cried, "Tua vulnera, Jesu! Tua vulnera, Jesu!" "Thy wounds, Jesus! Thy wounds, Jesus!"

This man knew who Jesus was. He knew we are not saved by anything we can do, but by that which the God/Man has done for us. We are not saved by what we have suffered, but by what Christ has endured. "Tua vulnera, Jesu! Tua vulnera, Jesu!" Our everlasting hope was hung upon the cross. In His doing, dying and rising again is all our acceptance before God. We are called to trust in Christ in life and in death.

Who is this man Jesus Christ? He is the God/Man and He is our only Saviour.

We will try to answer a profound question; Who is this man Jesus? In Matthew 16:13-16, our Lord asked His disciples; "Who do men say that I the Son of Man am?" They replied, "Some say that you are John the Baptist and some say that you are Elijah and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." Christ said to them: "But who say ye that I the Son of Man am?" Peter answered and said; "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

So then, who is this man Jesus?

He was born in poverty, in a cave converted as a stable, to an un-wed Jewish teenager. He was then placed in a feeding trough for cattle. There was no room for Him anywhere else.

Who is this man Jesus?

As an infant, he was made a refugee as His parents fled for safety to Egypt. This was necessary to avoid the murderous sword of Herod, which was aimed at the heart of the young child.

Who is this man Jesus?

He was raised in an obscure, unassuming village called Nazareth. His foster father was a carpenter with neither riches nor influence. Being from a poor family, Jesus, himself, was deprived of the privilege of formal training and education at the feet of the sagacious and learned Rabbis of His day.

It has been observed by others that Jesus never travelled above 90 miles from His home. He, at no time, owned a piece of ground or a piece of property. His only possession was the robe on His back.

Who is this man Jesus?

He never held a public office. No one ever voted for him.

Who is this man Jesus?

As He travelled throughout Israel preaching, He was accompanied by, A band of unschooled ruffians and a few old fishermen. As far as we can tell, His friends were all poor, anonymous types.

Who is this man Jesus?

Although he went about doing good, He was indicted for violating the Law of Moses. Furthermore, because He claimed equality with God, He was accused of blasphemy. False witnesses rose up against Him. Paid liars attacked Him with their tongues. He was then, illegally, sentenced to death and executed.

Who is this man Jesus?

Of His inner circle of friends, one of them sold Him out for a pitifully small amount of money. Another one denied Him three times. Nearly all of them forsook Him and fled.

Meanwhile, Jesus suffered and died in torturous pain, encompassed by a sense of forsakenness. He was then taken down from the cross and buried in a borrowed tomb.

Who is this man Jesus?

Some have remarked that this man, Jesus of Nazareth, never wrote a book, yet more books have been written about Him and His work than about any other person. Although He sang songs, He never composed one, yet He has been the theme of more songs than anyone else in history. He never founded an institute of higher learning, yet a staggering number of colleges and universities have been dedicated to the advance of His cause.

Who is this man Jesus?

In the wilderness, Satan could not seduce Him. As a child, the wisdom of the Jerusalem Rabbis could not answer Him. During His ministry, lawyers and scribes could not entangle Him in their wicked webs of sophistry. The leaders of the nation hated Him. Pilate could find no fault in Him.

Who is this man Jesus?

At the cross, He dealt death a death blow. In His burial, the grave could not contain Him.

Who is this man Jesus?

Even those who don't follow Him admit that His life on this earth was above reproach. His teachings were of not only of the purest quality but also breath-taking. However, since the time He walked on this earth, controversy has continued to rage around Him.

Who is this man Jesus?

We have merely asked the question and scratched the surface of this excellent theme. Next time, God willing, we will explore more about this magnificent subject.

My Aunt Eileen died just a few days ago. She was my Father's younger sister and she will be greatly missed by friends and family.

Death is a sorrowful time for those left behind. However, in spite of the sorrow, for the believer, death and the grave have lost their sting and victory. This is because of the certainty of the Resurrection. What if, however, Jesus has not risen from the grave?

I've recently read some Christian writers who explain that, even if they discovered Jesus did not rise from the dead, they would continue to follow Him. After all, they reason, as they look around at the field of religious Gurus from human history, Jesus is by far the superior one.

Personally, I think that kind of thinking is daft! Indeed, in 1 Corinthians 15:12-21, Paul lets us know just how silly this mentality is. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul gives us several awful things that would be true if Christ had not risen from the grave.

The first of these is that, if Christ is not risen, preaching would be an exercise in futility (verse 14). I know there are some who would readily endorse that sentiment at the best of times. However, notwithstanding their views on preaching, if there is no Resurrection, the minister is wasting his time being in the pulpit. If Christ is still in the grave there is no good news. No Gospel.

Also, according to verse 14, if there is no resurrection, our faith is vain. At the end of the day, why would we put faith in a dead Messiah? Faith, as you remember, is only as good as its object. Faith itself saves no one. It is Jesus who saves and a dead Jesus is useless in this matter of salvation. The ghastly truth is that, if Jesus is still in the grave, He can bring no one to heaven. A dead man can do nothing for us!

Now here's another thing. If Jesus has not risen from the grave, then the disciples were awful liars (v15-16). These men went everywhere telling people they had seen the risen Christ. They had touched and handled Him, they claimed (1John 1:1). But, if Christ was not raised from the dead then they were perjurers. Remember this, if Christ was not risen from the dead, the apostles weren't just mistaken, they were malicious. They were part of a gargantuan conspiracy to deceive mankind!

So then, were the Apostles liars? If they were, why did they lie? 'Oh' says someone, 'just like any of these modern preachers, they lied for gain.' But what gain did they have? It certainly was not financial. And, furthermore, consider how they died. They all (except for John) died as martyrs. They were tortured and brutally executed. There's no worldly gain in that. By the way, liars and martyrs are not cut from the same cloth. Only deranged lunatics would embrace martyrdom to further a deliberate lie.

But, if Christ is still in the grave, then indeed, the Apostles were liars, hypocrites and deceivers. That would follow then that we cannot read the New Testament since it was written by these same frauds. If Christ is not risen, we, therefore, have no New Testament!

But it gets worse than that; if Christ is yet in the grave, then we have no hope of forgiveness (verse 17). God cannot overlook sin, He must punish it! God is Holy and His holiness demands the death of the sinner. Either our sin has been punished on Christ at the cross or we will be punished for it in Hell. But, if Christ has not been raised from the grave it means that the Father has not accepted the sacrifice of Calvary. That means we are lost. It matters not how sincere and earnest we are. We are yet in our sins. We will perish!

But, here's the good news. Christ was delivered for our offenses and raised again for (because of) our Justification (Romans 4:25). He is alive. His blood has secured us, His sacrifice has been accepted and He is alive forevermore.

There are many Christians who have not as yet grasped the applications of the gospel. They have no idea how much God loves them.

Let me ask you---do you enjoy being a Christian, a follower of Jesus? Some folks, if they are honest, would have to answer 'no' to that. They are not satisfied; they have a bad case of 'SDS'... They're Saved, Dissatisfied and Stuck!

Does this description fit you? You are earnest, but you have no joy, you are sincere, but you have no peace. You are not sure whether or not God accepts you and your performance! You quietly think that if you can obey God He will accept you, but if you fail and disobey, He will reject you. You, my friend have caught a bad dose of religion! You are not walking in the gospel.

In the gospel, we learn that we are accepted with God, not because of our doing, but because of the doing of another, the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:19). This is good news---this is Gospel Truth. We are accepted because of His performance. And yes, we do obey the Lord but not to gain acceptance, rather, we obey because we have already been graciously accepted (Titus 3:8).

Acceptance with God is a central benefit of the gospel (Ephesians 1:6; John 1:16). This is a demonstration of God's wisdom. After all, there can be no acceptable worship unless there are acceptable worshipers. This is not the way that religion tells it. The religious man thinks that by worship and performing his religion he can find acceptance with God: But the truth is just the opposite. Man must first be accepted and only then can he worship. He must first be accepted before He can present any acceptable worship to the Father.

The great mystery, when we consider things, is how the all-holy God can possibly accept us. We are, after all, by nature corrupted and vile sinners (Psalm 148:2; Mark 7:21-23). The gospel, however, answers this question for, by the gospel, we understand that our acceptance is in Christ alone! He has bought and paid for us with blood His blood! Faith grasps and confidently holds to this. Faith knows that our works, prayers and tears cannot save us! Faith grasps that we are saved by Christ alone, apart from any contribution we might hope to make. Faith causes us to rest in the truth that Christ's blood has powerfully redeemed us!

Someone once said it like this;

Faith is looking to Christ, not to how much faith I have. It is not faith that saves, but it is Christ who saves!

Faith is looking to Christ and not to my prayers, my worship, nor my meditations.

Faith is looking to Christ and neither to the name I wear nor the doctrines I hold. It is not what, but Whom we believe.

Faith is looking to Christ and not the law. The law wounds but never heals; it kills but never gives life.

Faith is looking to Christ and not to His mother, nor His apostles, nor to an image of a cross. There is one God and one Mediator.

Faith is looking to Christ, and not to the brethren; neither the best nor the worst of them--- we put no confidence in the flesh.

Faith is looking to Christ, neither to my strength nor to my weakness. All grace or strength we have is by His grace, and when I am weak, then I am strong.

Faith is looking to Christ, not my works! Without Him our righteousness is filthy rags.

Faith is looking to Christ yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Faith is looking to Christ at all times, and we never stop coming, looking, resting, trusting, believing, depending nor leaning on the Lord Jesus Christ.

And that's the Gospel Truth!

Miles McKee

Minister of the Gospel The Grace Centre 6 Quay Street, New Ross, County Wexford, Ireland.

1 Timothy 3:16- "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh.."

That God became a man is foundational to the gospel! It's without controversy! If God has not manifested Himself in Christ Jesus, then there is no gospel. This sublime truth was one of the great foundations of the ancient church. Not only did they believe it, they also sang it. Indeed, the words Paul quotes in this verse are thought by many to be part of one of the ancient songs of the early church. So convinced was the Early Church that Christ Jesus was God, that they often engraved this truth in stone. The following is the translation of an ancient inscription about Jesus, found etched in marble in Asia Minor,

"I am what I was -- God I was not what I am -- man I am now both -- God and man."

God was manifest in the flesh in the person of the Lord Jesus! It was not an exalted angel who was manifest, but rather the Almighty God, ruler of heaven and earth. If we reject this central doctrine of the manifestation of God in Christ, then we exclude ourselves from being followers of Christ! To be a follower of Christ is to follow the Christ of the Scriptures--- and the Christ of Scripture is both fully God and fully Man. He has two natures in one person. If we reject this truth, we might have an exceptionally enjoyable religion and call ourselves Christians, but we don't have Biblical Christianity. We have, on this subject, redefined the Biblical Christ in terms that suit us. Not a smart idea!

Listen to this scripture again, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh." Since repetition is the price of learning, we must stress that this matter of Christ's deity is, for the follower of Christ, without controversy! It is not a doctrine that disciples of Jesus debate! God was manifest in the flesh. As His followers, there are some fundamental things which we have to get straight--- and Christ's deity is one of them.

Matthew Henry says, "He who was manifest in flesh was God, really and truly God, God by nature, and not only so by office, for this makes it to be a mystery. God was manifest in flesh, real flesh. Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, Hebrews 2:24."

In Christ Jesus, God became a member of the human family. The God who has always been, who has always existed, has now been manifested in Christ Jesus! As Henry Mahan said, "The Ancient of Days became an infant of days. The Son of the Most-High God became a man of sorrows. He made the World, but as a man, he had no place to lay His head. He who made the rivers asked a woman to give Him a drink of water. He who cast out devils was tempted of the devil, and the author of life died and lay in a tomb."

What immense condescension! He came to earth, was treated as a felon, and put to death. But there, at the cross, the man who was God, was made sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). Since the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), that man Jesus the God/Man, stepped into our shoes and died in our place. On the third day, however, He rose again thus proving that His sacrifice for our sin was sufficient. He was hated then and hated now. What say you? Do you love Him or hate Him? If you hate Him, then hate Him with all your might, but if you love Him, pray that you will never be ashamed to declare Him as your God and Saviour. God will certainly answer that prayer.